Beneath the towering Art Deco structures and bustling transportation lines of downtown Chicago, there’s a hidden problem: the land is sinking. But it’s not just due to the typical reasons one might expect. A new study from Northwestern University reveals that the ground between the city’s surface and bedrock has warmed by an average of 5.6 degrees Fahrenheit since the mid-20th century. This increase in temperature, primarily caused by heat sources like basements and underground structures, has led to subsidence and swelling in the layers of sand, clay, and rock beneath buildings. As a result, cracks and defects in walls and foundations have worsened over the decades.
The issue of underground climate change isn’t unique to Chicago. It’s a global phenomenon driven by human activities, such as the burning of fossil fuels. Aside from warming the surface, this excess heat is seeping into the surrounding earth through basements, parking garages, train tunnels, pipes, sewers, and electrical cables. These underground temperature increases can have several detrimental effects. For instance, subway tunnels become warmer, leading to overheated tracks and uncomfortable conditions for commuters. Moreover, long-term shifts in the ground beneath buildings can cause structural strain, which may not be noticeable until it becomes a major problem.
The research conducted by Dr. Alessandro F. Rotta Loria, an assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering at Northwestern, focuses on assessing underground climate change in Chicago. He installed over 150 temperature sensors above and below the city’s surface to measure temperature changes in the Loop district. Combining the readings from these sensors with a detailed computer model of the area’s basements, tunnels, and structures, Dr. Rotta Loria simulated how the ground has warmed over the past seven decades and how it will continue to warm until 2051. His findings indicate that the ground beneath certain parts of Chicago has warmed by as much as 27 degrees Fahrenheit, leading to noticeable ground deformation under buildings.
To address this issue effectively, building owners and tunnel operators should improve insulation measures to minimize heat leakage into the earth. Additionally, they can find innovative ways to utilize the excess heat. Dr. Rotta Loria is involved with a startup called Enerdrape, which produces panels that absorb ambient heat in tunnels and parking garages, using it to power electric heat pumps and reduce utility bills. By implementing these solutions, the impact of underground climate change can be mitigated.
Importantly, Dr. Rotta Loria’s estimates of underground warming in Chicago do not take into account climate change at the city surface or future projections of global warming. He intentionally focused on a conservative lower bound to highlight the severity of the current problem. However, it’s crucial to consider the potential amplification of underground warming due to climate change and increased energy consumption from air-conditioning systems in large buildings.
Ultimately, addressing the issue of underground heat requires proactive measures. Waiting for a century to tackle the problem could result in significant consequences. Therefore, it’s important for policymakers, city officials, and building owners to prioritize infrastructure improvements and sustainable solutions that can mitigate the effects of underground climate change.
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